Collecting and communicating temperature and volume data directly from a dispenser

In a liquid fuel product storage and delivery system wherein liquid fuel product flows from one or more liquid fuel product storage tanks to one or more liquid fuel product dispensers where it is dispensed, a method of real-time communication of temperature and volume readings directly from a liquid fuel product dispenser to at least one of a retail system and a centralized inventory management system, the method comprising:

• collecting a plurality of flow data at a first time from a dispenser volume measurement device provided at one or more liquid fuel product dispensers, each of the plurality of flow data corresponding to a volume of liquid fuel product dispensed from the liquid fuel product dispenser during a time interval;
• while said liquid fuel product is dispensed from the one or more liquid fuel product dispensers, collecting a plurality of temperature data from a dispenser temperature measurement device provided at the one or more liquid fuel product dispensers at a plurality of times within said time interval, each said temperature data being representative of a temperature of said liquid fuel product at one of said plurality of times;
• measuring a volume of liquid fuel product stored in one or more liquid fuel product storage tanks at a second time during said time interval, said second time differing from said first time;
• and
• transmitting said plurality of flow data and said plurality of temperature data to at least one of a retail system and a centralized inventory management system, wherein said at least one of a retail system and a centralized inventory management system uses said plurality of flow data to calculate a volume dispensed from said dispenser corresponding to said second time.

A computer program storage product for implementing a method in connection with a liquid fuel product storage and delivery system wherein liquid fuel product flows from one or more liquid fuel product storage tanks to one or more liquid fuel product dispensers where it is dispensed, the method including real-time communication of temperature and volume readings directly from a liquid fuel product dispenser to at least one of a retail system and a centralized inventory management system, the computer program product comprising one or more computer executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the distributed computing system to perform the following:

• collecting a plurality of flow data at a first time from a dispenser volume measurement device provided at a one or more liquid fuel product dispensers, each of the plurality of flow data corresponding to a volume of liquid fuel product dispensed from the one or more liquid fuel product dispensers during a time interval;
• while said liquid fuel product is dispensed from the one or more liquid fuel product dispensers, collecting a plurality of temperature data from a dispenser temperature measurement device provided at the one or more liquid fuel product dispensers at a plurality of times within said time interval, each said temperature data being representative of a temperature of said liquid fuel product at one of said plurality of times;
• measuring a volume of liquid fuel product stored in one or more liquid fuel product storage tanks at a second time during said time interval, said second time differing from said first time;
• and
• transmitting said plurality of flow data and said plurality of temperature data to at least one of a retail system and a centralized inventory management system, wherein said at least one of a retail system and a centralized inventory management system uses said plurality of flow data to calculate a volume dispensed from said dispenser corresponding to said second time.